"We have to go. Now." Clark tells Sophie.
"What, why?" She asks, confused.
"Hey, Jake. Thanks for everything, but we have to leave." Clark says, patting his shoulder.
"No problem, is everything ok?" He asks, but Clark and Sophie are already on their way out. They get outside, and Sophie stops Clark.
"Clark! What is wrong?" She asks.
"Being in a nightclub brings back a few unpleasant memories." He tells her.
"Ok, would you like to talk about it?" She asks. A little more for her sake.
"Do you mind if I wait until we're back at the hotel?" Clark asks.
"Sure, that's fine." She says and waves her hand in a "I'm ready" motion. They end up getting a cab back to their hotel. Clark was glad, he really didn't want to walk at a normal pace for a few miles.
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They get in the hotel room and Clark sits down on the couch. Sophie gets them something to drink and sits down beside him.
"A little over a year ago, I kind of ran away from home. To metropolis." Clark explains to her.
"Why? You seem happy at home." She asks.
"I felt responsible because a lot of people around me got hurt. So I ran away to Metropolis to try to erase Smallville from my past. And I did a lot of bad things. I always went to this nightclub that was a lot like the one we were at tonight." He tells her.
"So, being at that nightclub brought back memories?" Sophie asks, beginning to understand.
"Yes, but it's a little more complicated than that. I was with a lot of girls and was a totally different person." Clark says. "Were you ever at the Oceanic nightclub?" He asks. Realization creeps over Sophie's face.
"Yes. I was there a lot." She says, looking into her lap. Apparently, her memories aren't that pleasant either.
"Did you ever meet a guy named Kal that sort of resembled me?" Clark asks her.
"Oh my…" She gasps, getting off the couch.
"Sophie, please. I was really not myself then." He begs her, putting his arms around her. She wiggles away.
"Do you have any idea what you did to me?" She asks, kind of angry.
"To be honest, all I remember is being with you in the nightclub." Clark tells her.
"Well, let me refresh your memory. I went out of the nightclub with you and after making out for 15 minutes, you were going to drive me back to your apartment in your ferrari. Which was no doubt, stolen. You told me you just had to stop and talk to your friend for a minute. I should have been skeptical when you stopped outside a warehouse. Instead, you run out with a duffel bag full of money, getting shot at. To this day, I have no idea how you came out alive. But you scream at me to go and jump in the car. After getting chased for several blocks by armed criminals, you tell me to get out. I could have been dead! You were no better than the guy that shot my brother!" She screams at him and heads for the door. That last sentence really breaks Clark down.
"Please, just wait." Clark begs with tears in his eyes.
"Wait for what, Clark?" She demands.
"I know with what all I did, you don't have a reason to stay. But you have to understand that I have had to pay for those mistakes I made for a long time. I'm not happy with what I did. But I really was not myself. I know that doesn't excuse me." He tells her, looking ashamed.
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A/N: I couldn't remember the exact name of the nightclub Clark went to in the episode exile and I'm too lazy to get out the 3rd season DVD and check. Oceanic just sounded right. I know this is supposed to be about Nascar. I'll get there, I promise. I just watched the 3rd season again and there was a girl Clark went in to a nightclub with. It reminded me of Sophie so I wrote this chapter.
